The present invention relates to a fuel supply apparatus of an outboard motor having an improved arrangement or structure.
In recent years, a four-stroke-cycle engine has been mainly utilized. Like the two-stroke-cycle engine, the four-stroke-cycle engine is mounted uprightly to the outboard motor in a state mounted to a hull, for example, in which a crankshaft is disposed so as to extend perpendicularly in an engine crankcase.
An intake manifold extending from a cylinder head on the rear side of the engine is curved and connected to a cylinder block or a fuel supply apparatus disposed on the side of the crankcase. An air-fuel supply means such as carburetors as many, in number, as cylinders or an air amount-adjusting device (throttle body) is continuously formed with the fuel supply apparatus by a connecting member, and an intake (inlet) noise silencer is connected to the front portion of the fuel supply apparatus.
An engine starting operation assisting device for easily starting the engine operation and a speed reduction control device for preventing an engine stall resulted from a rapid throttle closing operation are disposed in association with the fuel supply apparatus of the outboard motor.
In the known art, such engine starting operation assisting device and the speed reduction control device are disposed to the cylinder head of the engine independent from the air-fuel supply means. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out a setting operation such as linkage adjustment in an assembling line after the assembling of the air-fuel supply means, the starting operation assisting device and the speed reduction control device.
However, in such engine assembling line, the setting adjustment working is troublesome and inconvenient for the entire assembling working, which results in adverse affection on the outboard motor manufacturing process, as well as adverse affection on uniform or constant engine performance after the assembling of the engine. Moreover, it is necessary to again perform the setting adjustment working at the time of re-assembling of the engine after the once disassembling of the air-fuel supply means, thus being troublesome and not convenient for the engine performance and maintenance.